Two Wycombe retailers and their customers were last week celebrated by local MP Steve Baker for collectively raising over £1.8 million for Good Causes through selling National Lottery products and supporting their local communities. Mr Baker visited Kings Newsagents in Lane End and Tara’s Londis in High Wycombe to award the proprietors with plaques marking their incredible achievements.
Kings Newsagents and their customers have raised over £1.4m for National Lottery Good Causes, having been a National Lottery retailer since the first National Lottery draw in 1994. The father and son proprietors, Thakorbhai and Vishal Desai, have between them been running the store and serving the local community for 37 years.
Baker also visited Tara’s Londis on Brindley Avenue. As well as raising over £400,000 for Good Causes through selling National Lottery products, owner Raaj Chandarana also plays a key role in supporting his local community and was featured in the Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children documentary after he offered free meals during half-term for struggling families.
Baker said: “I was delighted to visit two retailers in Wycombe to mark their and their customers’ contributions to National Lottery Good Causes.
“Thanks to National Lottery players and to independent shops like these, over £11.5m has been raised for Good Causes in Wycombe alone since 1994, while the total raised for projects across the whole of the UK now exceeds £46bn.”
Thakorbhai, known to locals as Mr D, said: “Having been a National Lottery retailer from the very first draw, I am extremely proud that my customers have been able to raise so much for Good Causes. We are a family business with my son now running the shop, so it is an amazing feeling for both of us.”
Raaj said: “It’s great to be recognised for the amount of money my customers have raised for National Lottery Good Causes. Supporting my local community through my shop is really important to me, and so selling The National Lottery is another great way to do this.”
Camelot’s senior retail planning manager, Toby Moxham added: “Independent retailers are vitally important to the success of The National Lottery, providing a great service to players across the country. Both retailers we visited today are also fantastic examples of retailers who go above and beyond to serve their customers and local communities.
“Thanks to National Lottery retailers and players, an average of over £30m is raised every week for Good Causes across the UK. Every time somebody plays a National Lottery game, they help to make the UK a better place. That’s because, for every National Lottery ticket sold, a proportion of the money received benefits a huge variety of Good Cause projects that make a real difference to the lives of people and communities the length and breadth of the country.”
Although Camelot is responsible for generating returns to Good Causes by operating The National Lottery, it plays no role in the allocation of funding. This is the specific responsibility of 12 lottery distribution bodies, each with specialist knowledge of their sectors.
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